Support at Home: A Guide for Older Australians and Families
How the Australian Government's Support at Home program works, what it pays for, what you might contribute, and how Good Nurse, in partnership with Trilogy Care, delivers nurse-led care at home across Westmead and Western Sydney.
Good Nurse is an official partner of Trilogy Care, a registered Support at Home provider. If you choose Trilogy Care to manage your Support at Home budget, you can choose Good Nurse to deliver your care. Trilogy Care looks after your budget, care partner and claims with the government. Good Nurse's Registered Nurses and care workers deliver the hands-on care, from nursing and wound care to personal care, cleaning, respite and transport.
What is Support at Home?
Support at Home is the Australian Government's in-home aged care program. It helps older people stay independent, healthy and connected at home for longer by funding coordinated care and services that match their assessed needs.
- Started 1 November 2025, replacing the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme.
- The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) continues for now and will move into Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
- It was set up in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to create a fairer system, improve access to services, assistive technology and home modifications, and help older people stay active, healthy and socially connected.
Support at Home includes:
How to get started
Funding: your Support at Home budget
Each person receiving ongoing services is given one of 8 funding classifications in their aged care assessment. The amounts below include the 10% set aside for care management. They are indexed every 1 July.
| Classification | Quarterly budget | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $2,752.50 | $11,010.01 |
| Level 2 | $4,112.84 | $16,451.35 |
| Level 3 | $5,634.20 | $22,536.81 |
| Level 4 | $7,617.13 | $30,468.51 |
| Level 5 | $10,182.38 | $40,729.53 |
| Level 6 | $12,341.32 | $49,365.27 |
| Level 7 | $14,915.00 | $59,660.00 |
| Level 8 | $20,034.28 | $80,137.12 |
If you moved from a Home Care Package
People who were on a Home Care Package, or approved for one by 31 October 2025, receive equivalent funding:
| Previous package | Quarterly budget | Annual amount |
|---|---|---|
| Transitioned HCP Level 1 | $2,818.04 | $11,272.15 |
| Transitioned HCP Level 2 | $4,955.44 | $19,821.76 |
| Transitioned HCP Level 3 | $10,787.18 | $43,148.74 |
| Transitioned HCP Level 4 | $16,353.98 | $65,415.91 |
You keep any unspent HCP funds. You can use them for assistive technology and home modifications, or for extra services once your quarterly budget is spent. There is no carryover limit on unspent HCP funds, and they move with you if you change provider.
Key budget rules
- Quarterly budgets: funding is allocated every three months.
- Carryover: you can carry unspent funds of up to $1,000 or 10% of your quarterly budget (whichever is greater) into the next quarter.
- Care management: 10% of each quarterly budget funds care management. Some groups receive an extra care management supplement.
- Interim funding: if full funding isn't available yet, you may receive 60% of your classification to access critical services. The rest is added later and isn't backdated.
- Need more support? If your budget no longer meets your needs, you can be referred for a Support Plan Review and reassessed for a higher classification.
- Extra services: you can privately pay for services outside your budget if you choose.
Short-term pathways
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme
Separate, needs-based funding for equipment and home modifications, usually available for 12 months:
- Low: $500
- Medium: $2,000
- High: $15,000 (or more in some cases)
The amount charged can't exceed the invoiced cost of the item or service, prescription and wrap-around services. Administration and coordination is capped at 10% of the cost (maximum $500) for assistive technology and 15% (maximum $1,500) for home modifications. All costs must be agreed with you before purchase.
Restorative Care Pathway
Up to 16 weeks of intensive allied health and nursing services (around $6,000) to restore function, regain skills, support independence and prevent further age-related decline. It is often used after a hospital stay, fall or illness. A restorative care partner provides clinical coordination, and a goal plan replaces the usual care plan.
End-of-Life Pathway
For older people with 3 months or less to live who want to remain at home. It provides around $25,000 of extra in-home support over 12 weeks (which can be used over up to 16 weeks) and complements state and territory palliative care services. From early 2027, the government is adding a second round of funding for people who live beyond the first 12 weeks.
What services are covered?
Services must match the needs in your support plan. They fall into three categories, which also decide what you contribute:
| Category | Examples | Your contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical supports | Nursing care, wound care, physiotherapy and other allied health, nutrition, and personal care (showering, dressing, continence) from 1 October 2026 | None. Fully government funded. |
| Independence | Respite, transport, support to attend appointments, social support, remedial massage | Moderate contribution |
| Everyday living | Cleaning, laundry, gardening, shopping, meal preparation, home maintenance | Highest contribution |
Equipment, products and home modifications are funded separately under the AT-HM scheme. Your provider can also help connect you with other supports, such as Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the Hearing Services Program and your local Primary Health Network.
Support at Home services delivered by Good Nurse
What will I pay?
Most people contribute towards independence and everyday living services. Contributions are a percentage of each service's price, and the government pays the rest. Your rate depends on an income and assets assessment by Services Australia:
- Full pensioners pay the lowest contributions.
- Part pensioners and Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders pay contributions based on their income and assets.
- Self-funded retirees without a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card pay the highest contributions.
- People who don't receive a government payment may still qualify for lower rates if their income and assets are similar to a full pensioner's.
- No contribution for clinical supports, such as nursing, physiotherapy and personal care.
Protections
- Lifetime cap: contributions are capped at $140,652.80 over your lifetime (as at 20 September 2026, indexed every March and September). This cap is shared with residential aged care's non-clinical care contribution.
- No worse off principle: if you were receiving or approved for a Home Care Package on or before 12 September 2024, you'll pay the same or less than under HCP. If you weren't paying an income-tested care fee as at 31 October 2025, you'll never pay contributions under Support at Home. A grandfathered lifetime cap of $88,934.57 also applies.
- Financial hardship: if you genuinely can't afford your contributions, you can apply to Services Australia for hardship assistance.
- Estimate your costs: use the Support at Home fee estimator on the My Aged Care website.
Prices and your rights
- Providers set their own prices. Prices must be reasonable (based on the real cost of delivering the service), transparent and agreed with you before you're charged.
- Registered providers must publish their most frequently charged prices on My Aged Care and their website, and review them at least every 2 months.
- All prices must be all-inclusive. Providers can't charge separate administration or travel fees.
- Your service agreement must list the prices for your services. One-off prices must be agreed with you in writing first.
- You should receive a monthly statement. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission can order refunds where providers overcharge.
- The government publishes a quarterly national summary of Support at Home prices, so you can compare providers, and encourages providers to raise prices no more than twice a year.
- Free advocacy and information are available from the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) and COTA.
Care management and your care partner
Every Support at Home participant has a care partner who helps you plan, choose, receive and review your services. Care management includes care planning, monitoring and reviewing, and support and education. You must have at least one direct care management contact, such as a call or meeting, every month. Care partners use a wellness and reablement approach that builds on your strengths and goals. People with more complex needs may have a clinically qualified care partner, such as a nurse.
Managing your own care (self-management)
You can choose to manage parts of your Support at Home care yourself, including choosing your own workers. Your registered provider still remains responsible for your care and care management, and must engage your chosen worker to deliver services on its behalf. Providers can add an overhead of up to 10% of the cost of third-party services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants have the right to culturally safe, trauma-aware and healing-informed care. This can include support to take part in cultural activities and access to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and health workers. A care management supplement helps fund culturally safe care.
Why choose Good Nurse for Support at Home?
- Nurse-led: every client's care is overseen by Registered Nurses, with ICU and aged care experience in our team.
- One team for clinical and everyday care: nursing, personal care, cleaning, respite and transport from the same small team.
- Official partner of Trilogy Care: simple set-up through Trilogy Care's Support at Home program.
- Local: based in Westmead and serving Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith and Western Sydney.
- Early escalation: we spot changes early and keep your care partner, GP and family informed.
Support at Home across Western Sydney
We provide Support at Home services across Westmead, Parramatta, North Parramatta, Wentworthville, Toongabbie, Seven Hills, Blacktown, Merrylands, Guildford, Auburn, Fairfield, Liverpool, Penrith and the Hills District.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for Support at Home?
Older people who need help to keep living at home and are assessed as eligible through My Aged Care. To check your eligibility, apply for an aged care assessment online or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422.
What happened to Home Care Packages?
Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program on 1 November 2025. People on a package moved across with equivalent funding and kept their unspent funds.
Is CHSP ending?
Not yet. The Commonwealth Home Support Program keeps running and will transition to Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
Do I pay for nursing or personal care?
No. Clinical supports such as nursing are fully government funded. From 1 October 2026, personal care (such as showering, dressing and continence support) is also fully funded, so you don't pay a contribution for it.
How can I get Good Nurse as my provider?
Good Nurse is an official partner of Trilogy Care. If Trilogy Care manages your Support at Home budget, you can choose Good Nurse to deliver your care. Call us on 1300 457 557 and we'll help you through the set-up.
Can I keep my existing provider and still use Good Nurse?
Under Support at Home, one registered provider manages your services, and they may engage other organisations to deliver some of them. Talk to us and your current provider about your options. If you'd like to change provider, your unspent funds move with you.
What if my needs increase?
Your care partner can refer you for a Support Plan Review, where an assessor decides whether you need a higher classification and budget.
Talk to our nurses
Whether you're starting Support at Home, moving from a Home Care Package or looking for a nurse-led team, we're happy to talk it through.
Speak with a Nurse 24/7: 1300 457 557Contact Good NurseBack to Aged Care
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Support at Home program.
- About the Support at Home program.
- Delivering services for Support at Home, including services, care management, self-management, AT-HM, Restorative Care and End-of-Life pathways.
- Funding classifications for Support at Home.
- Charging for Support at Home services, participant contributions and prices.
- My Aged Care: assessments, fee estimator and finding a provider.
Figures are current as published by the Department in October 2026 and change with indexation. This page is general information, not financial advice. Check My Aged Care or your provider for your personal situation.